Although skirts were worn both by men and women from many cultures, they are mostly worn by women and became a symbol of femininity.

The oldest skirt discovered dates back to 3900 BC and it is a straw-woven skirt, founded in Armenia.

Speaking about the 19th century, the cut of women’s dresses varied the most in the western culture, more than in any other century. The waistline, initially just below the bust, started to descend to the natural waist, while the skirt increased from narrow to the hoopskirt and crinoline-supported style in the 1860, but soon this fullness was draped back.

Starting with 1915, the hemline for the daytime dresses left the floor and never came back as for the next 50 years dresses changed dramatically from short in the 1920’s, to long in the 1930’s, then short again due to the fabric restrictions in the War Years (1940), but soon after, in the 1947, they turned long again, while in the 1967-1970, skirts became shortest of all, barely avoiding exposure of underwear. From 1970, women started wearing pants even in formal occasions and the length of the skirt didn’t matter as much as before because no skirt length was able to dominate too long the catwalks and fashion magazines.

The 1970’s were a point of reference for maxi skirts as we know today. Since then, they developed and improved constantly and I bet they will continue to be fashionable many more years further as they are so comfortable and elegant.

Summer is a celebration of dresses and skirts which look best this time of the year due to their bright colors, original combinations and light fabrics.

Maxi skirts trends for summer 2013 are:

– asymmetric skirts: short in the front and long in the back, they are a great hit this summer for being both spectacular and extremely versatile because they can be used to different styles and matched not only with high heels but also with flats

– 2 in 1 skirts: are made from one mini-skirt of dense fabric, covered by a long skirt from a light and transparent fabric. The most searched models are black or white, but if you prefer something more joyful, then choose one in pastel color

– maxi skirts with slit: also versatile because they can be used with casual or elegant outfits. Not only comfortable, but helpful when you want to hide some extra pounds, they can be sexy too because, in my opinion, showing less of your legs it’s more teasing than exposing all like mini-skirts do

– wear maxi skirts in strong colors, not only neon colors, but also dark and intense colors like: bloody red, royal blue and emerald green

– powder shades are also popular no matter if we are talking about cold colors like violet, green or blue, but especially warm colors like peach orange, dusty pink or beige are most preferred

– long skirts in combination of 2-3 colors (color blocking trend): most common are the combinations of tones of the same color like: mint green with forest green, pink with red or orange, navy blue with bright blue or turquoise

– maxi skirts made of rayon crepe, silk chiffon and cotton

– printed maxi skirt: graphic, floral, Aztec or ethnic prints allow you to enjoy the colors, to express your attitude, to experiment and play with images and colors as you please

Tips when using clothes with prints:

– if you wear a skirt with heavy prints then choose a shirt in only one color, but don’t opt for an intense color because your outfit will look overcrowded

– don’t wear two pieces of clothing with different prints unless you are very confident on your outfit, it’s better to wear only one piece with prints and the other in a nice neutral color

– prints attract attention to the area where they are used so you can take advantage of this by emphasizing the parts of your body you like and covering the parts you don’t enjoy that much. For example, if you are not very proud of your hips, use the prints on your top, to move the attention to that part of your body.

Maxi skirts accessorized properly can show the best of any silhouette. It is wrong believed that short women shouldn’t wear long skirts because, with high heels or platform sandals, you will look taller much more than wearing pants. Also, with high heels, a maxi skirt will make you look slimmer, but avoid long skirts which end just above your ankle because those don’t look good on any silhouette. The hemline of a maxi skirt should touch either the ground or the shoes.